Another Zorro?
by KathyG
Summary: A four-part NW-DIS Zorro crossover, in which a startled Felipe of the New World Zorro finds himself face to face with the de la Vegas of the Disney adaptation of our favorite story.
1. Chapter 1

**ANOTHER ZORRO? **

**by KathyG.**

**A four-part NW-DIS Zorro crossover, in which a startled Felipe of the New World Zorro finds himself face to face with the de la Vegas of the Disney adaptation of our favorite story.**

**Author's note: This New World—Disney crossover is set between the first and second season of the Family Channel's "Zorro," and following the second season of the Disney series.**

**Disclaimer: The name, character, and likeness of Zorro is a registered trademark of Zorro Productions Inc. These stories are not intended to infringe on their rights. The storylines and additional characters (not including Zorro/Don Diego, Don Alejandro, Felipe, Victoria Escalante, Sergeant Mendoza, and the **_**alcalde**_**) are copyrighted 1998-2003 by KathyG. (Some of these stories include the name of Felipe's horse, Parche. The horse's name is used with the permission of Ruth Parker, who invented the name to use in her own wonderful fanfiction. To access her Zorro stories, click on ~ .) These stories are made purely for entertainment purposes.**

**PART 1 **

_Ow!_

Felipe winced as the landing jarred him, forcing the soundless cry to escape from his lips. The black-and-white pinto raced over the hill.

The 14-year-old mute servant boy glared at Parche as the pony disappeared over the top of the hill. Parche had chosen the worst possible moment to run off and leave Felipe riderless!

_And all because of a snake!_ Felipe thought resentfully, rubbing the back of his neck. _Why'd it have to scare my horse?_

The young boy rose to his feet and rubbed his perspiring forehead. Nervously, he glanced at the wall of gray clouds approaching him from the south. In a short time, it would block out the late-afternoon sun.

_It's awful cloudy,_ he thought. _It's going to storm very soon._ He gulped. _I've got to seek shelter before it gets here. I won't make it home before the storm breaks._

The young boy slowly pivoted, looking for shelter. To his left, a towering hill rose a short distance away. A narrow tunnel bore into the side.

_I'll stay in that cave till the storm passes,_ he decided. _Thank goodness I was able to deliver that message for Don Alejandro before this happened!_

Felipe darted toward the opening and slipped inside. The tunnel, he noticed, ended about 10 feet from the entrance. The cool air inside the cave felt good on his sweaty skin.

Minutes later, a loud clap of thunder startled him. At that moment, a solid sheet of rain pounded the ground. The boy slumped against the wall. _Don Diego and Don Alejandro are going to be worried,_ he thought. _If this storm lasts for hours, it'll be well after dark before I ever get home!_ He made the sign of the cross and glanced nervously at the cave's ceiling.

Orphaned by the revolution at the age of seven, Felipe had been found by Don Diego and brought to California to live. Since then, he had worked for the de la Vegas as their houseboy, and would continue to until he turned twenty-five. Don Diego and his father, Don Alejandro, were the wealthiest, most respected and influential landowners in southern California. Besides doing light work around the _hacienda_, Felipe did many errands for them. Only that afternoon, Don Alejandro had sent the boy to deliver a message to one of his _caballero_ friends.

Felipe tiptoed toward the entrance to watch for the storm's passing. As he reached the opening, a forked lightning bolt struck the hill on which he had stood looking for shelter; in the next instant, an earsplitting thunderclap assaulted his ears. The bright flash of light had blinded Felipe; everything looked pitch-black. Screaming soundlessly, the terrified boy backed against the ice-cold limestone wall, squeezed his eyes shut, and covered his ears.

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes. To his relief, he could see again. Now all he had to do was to wait till the storm was over.

Felipe slid down into a sitting position and crouched against the wall. Yawning, he rested his face on his knees and closed his weary brown eyes. More claps of thunder reached his ears, but they sounded distant.

The sleepy boy started daydreaming about his master's crusade against tyranny and evil. Unknown to all but Felipe, the weak-willed, bookish Don Diego de la Vega who loved to dabble in science was, in reality, the black-masked avenger, Zorro. Felipe, who had been deaf for six years and who still couldn't speak, pretended to be unable to hear so he could spy for Zorro without arousing suspicion.

A sudden quiet startled Felipe, making him sit up and look out the entrance. The storm had disappeared, and the sun had come out. _It'll be dark soon,_ he thought. _I've got to get home now!_

As the young boy stepped out of the cave, he smiled. _Well, the storm wasn't as long as I feared. Only about half an hour, maybe._

He raced in the general direction of the de la Vega _hacienda_. _I hope the_ patróns_ aren't too worried about me,_ he thought. _When Parche got home without me, Miguel probably told Don Diego._ Miguel was the _vaquero_ foreman.

Fifteen minutes later, he saw a _hacienda_ in the distance. Felipe stopped to stare at it. Something was wrong.

_That can't be the Calderon_ hacienda_,_ he thought. _It has one floor. That one has two!_

Felipe rubbed his eyes and scanned the desert. For the first time, he noticed a difference in the shrubs and trees. They were arranged differently.

_Maybe I took a wrong turn,_ he thought, rubbing the back of his neck. _I'll go that way._

He stared down at the ground underneath his feet and noticed for the first time that it was dry. _How could this be?_ he wondered. _It_ never_ dries this fast after a storm!_

The boy turned a little toward his left and trotted over the hill. Long minutes passed as he trudged on and on. The relentless sun's rays made his face turn sweaty.

Throughout his hike, he passed several unfamiliar _haciendas_. A number of _caballeros_ and peasants passed him, none of whom he had ever seen before.

Felipe was starting to get nervous. None of the _haciendas_, huts, or people he had seen looked familiar to him! _Where am I?_ he wondered. _Where is the de la Vega_ hacienda_?_ A knot formed in his stomach. _Am I lost?!_

A carriage appeared over the horizon. A driver, wearing a brown jacket and a black hat, sat in front, and two _hidalgos_ sat behind him. As the carriage approached Felipe, the younger _caballero_ saw him and spoke to the older gentleman. The elder man, in turn, tapped the driver on the shoulder and motioned to him to stop when he reached the boy.

Felipe sagged with relief when the carriage stopped next to him.

"Are you lost, _muchacho_?" the younger gentleman asked him kindly. He had coal-black hair, hazel eyes, an oval face, and a black, pencil-thin mustache. The other man had wavy, grayish-white hair, a mustache, and a goatee. Both men wore fancy _charro_ jackets and hats. The driver wore a white, unbleached cotton shirt and a brown vest under his jacket.

Felipe nodded ruefully, then pointed to his ears and mouth to indicate that he was a deaf-mute. As the two _caballeros_ looked at each other, Felipe had the strangest feeling he'd seen them before, though he couldn't imagine where.

The younger man stepped out of the carriage and motioned to Felipe to climb in. "Can you read lips?" he asked. Felipe nodded.

"Then you're more fortunate than our _mozo_, Bernardo." The older man nodded toward the driver. "He can't even do that. He can't hear or speak either, you see. He has to rely totally on sign language."

Felipe winced. If their driver was a deaf-mute who couldn't read lips, he had a real problem on his hands. The boy gazed beseechingly at the two gentlemen, who in turned smiled reassuringly at the frightened boy.

"We'll take you to our _hacienda_," the younger gentleman said. "When we get there, we'll see what we can do about finding your parents and getting you home."

Felipe smiled gratefully and climbed in. The _caballero_ sat down next to him on the soft velvet mattress. The carriage jolted on. As the young boy gazed at the two men, his feeling of _deja-vu_ grew stronger.

The two men smiled at him. "I'm Don Alejandro de la Vega," the older man said. "And this is my only son, Diego. _Mucho gusto, amigo._"

Felipe stared at them. How could this be? These were not the de la Vegas _he_ knew! These were completely different men! Felipe wondered if he was having a bad dream. These men could not be the de la Vegas! Were they playing some kind of trick on him?

And yet-and yet, there was something about them that reminded Felipe of the de la Vegas he knew. Something about the look in their eyes, their mannerisms.

The two men looked at him, concerned. "Is something wrong?" the younger man asked.

Felipe forced a smile on his face and shook his head. It would not do, he knew, to tell these men that there was another de la Vega family with the same first names. _I won't say anything,_ he silently decided. _I'll just keep my eyes and ears open, the way I do for Zorro. I'll keep pretending I'm deaf, too._ He wiped his perspiring forehead with the palm of his hand.

For the rest of the drive, no one said a word, so Felipe had a chance to examine the two men. The younger _don_ wore a navy-blue jacket embroidered with gold braid, a pair of matching trousers, a snow-white ruffled linen shirt, a coal-black silk cravat, and a brown hat. When he smiled at the boy, dimples appeared on his cheeks.

The young man's father was wearing an orange jacket embroidered with black braid and a light-brown silk cravat. Both men wore woolen sashes. Don Diego periodically reached into an inside jacket pocket for his handkerchief, to wipe the sweat off his face. Once, Don Alejandro glanced at his gold timepiece.

Minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a _hacienda_. No sooner did Felipe climb out of the carriage than he stood gaping at the imposing residence. A high stone wall surrounded the front of the house. It was much higher than the stone fence he was familiar with. The red-tile roof was peaked, not flat. And instead of a picket gate, a wooden door stood ajar, inviting them to enter what appeared to be a _patio_.

Felipe pushed the door open and stepped through the entrance. Sure enough, there _was_ a patio in front of the house. For a long moment, the baffled young boy just stood still and looked around. A high-backed wooden bench stood against the outer wall; clusters of ivy hung over that wall and covered parts of it. The ground was completely covered with stone tiles. In the middle, a tall, stately tree grew out of a section of earth rimmed with bricks.

A flight of stairs led up to a balcony on the second floor, lined with wooden railings. A terrace ran alongside the house underneath, and wooden columns supported the balcony.

_This isn't like our_ patio_ at all!_ Felipe thought. The _patio_ he knew was encased by the one-story, rectangular house. This one spread out in front, like a garden.

"Come, _amigo_." Don Diego patted his shoulder. "You must be hungry, so come inside and we'll get you something to eat."

Nodding, Felipe followed the _caballeros_ toward the entrance. His woven leather sandals clicked on the stone tiles. _Good thing I'm used to spying for Zorro,_ he thought wryly. _That'll make it easier to solve this mystery-I hope! Who_ are_ these people, and where am I?_

Once inside, Felipe examined the room for a long moment. Unlike the drawing room at his _patróns'_ house, this one had a whitish, indescribable color, and a red carpet covered the wooden plank floor. Apparently, the drawing room doubled as a dining room, since a long, polished dining table stood further down the room.

A polished mahogany highboy stood against the wall opposite from the entrance. A narrow red tablecloth covered the dining table from end to end. Armchairs stood here and there. Two of them stood underneath a huge stone fireplace. An ebony-colored piano stood at the far end of the room, next to a desk.

_This is nothing like our drawing room!_ Felipe thought, shaking his head. _For one thing, ours is_ much_ prettier!_

"_Muchacho,_ when you've had a bite to eat, we'll show you around our _hacienda_." Don Alejandro laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We're quite proud of it."

Felipe smiled his thanks. As long as he was there anyway, he might as well see everything. Crossing his arms, Don Diego glanced at his father and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Before you eat, we'd like to know who you are. Can you read and write?" Felipe nodded.

Don Diego led the boy toward the desk and gestured toward a shiny gold inkwell. "Why don't you sit down and write your name for us?"

Felipe perched on the edge of the chair, picked up a quill pen, and dipped it into the India ink. As his hosts looked over his shoulder, Felipe wrote his first name.

Don Alejandro smiled as the boy rose to his feet. "So, your name is Felipe." Their young guest nodded. The aged _don_ patted his shoulder.

Don Diego laughed. "At least, we know what to call you, now." He turned to an Indian servant hovering nearby. "Paco, would you get this boy something to eat?"

_"Si, Patrón."_ The servant left the room.

After Felipe had polished off a plate of _tamales_ at the dining table, the de la Vegas gave him a tour of the house. They showed him their library, their kitchen, Bernardo's small bedroom, and the other ground-floor rooms. Then, they took him outside, escorted him up the stairs to the balcony, and showed him the rows of bedrooms, including the ones they occupied.

Felipe couldn't believe how very different this place was from the one where he lived and worked. For one thing, the library was a totally different room, entered by a pine door. The bedrooms were all situated on the second floor and had panelled walls. Unlike the ones in his _patróns' hacienda_, the doors of these bedrooms opened onto the balcony.

_This is unbelievable!_ Felipe thought, for the umpteenth time.

As the young houseguest followed his hosts down the outdoor stairs, a thought made him freeze. Was this Don Diego another Zorro? If these indeed were de la Vegas, he _must_ be! Maybe Bernardo helped him, as Felipe himself helped his Zorro.

_If I'm right, that means Bernardo only pretends to be deaf,_ Felipe thought, as he trotted down the last few stairs. _I've got to find out!_

He glanced at the darkening western sky. The reddish-orange sun had dipped below the _patio_ wall, and a cool breeze caressed his cheeks. _When everyone's asleep, I'll find out._

**END OF PART 1 **


	2. Chapter 2

**PART 2**

An hour later, after Felipe had dined with the de la Vegas, Don Diego strolled toward the ebony-colored piano. As Don Alejandro leaned against the wall and listened to his son play a Handel sonata, Felipe perched on the edge of the dining table, studiously ignoring the cigar stub that lay on a small silver tray next to him.

_He's a good piano player,_ the boy thought. _Just like my Don Diego!_ A rush of homesickness swept through him. _I wish I was home! With the de la Vegas I know! They must be really worried about me._

Suddenly, Felipe yawned. Don Alejandro glanced at him and smiled. "Diego, I think our young houseguest needs some sleep. And since we have to go to town in the morning, so do we." He clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke.

Diego rose to his feet. "You're right, Father." He squeezed Felipe's shoulder. "Come with me, and I'll take you to your room."

Don Alejandro cupped his fingers underneath the boy's chin. "Have a good night's sleep, Felipe." The boy smiled and nodded. Chuckling, the aged _don_ told his son, "He's an appealing boy, Diego. Honest and good. I can see it in his eyes."

Smiling bashfully, Felipe shrugged. At that moment, Bernardo entered the room. His hairline receded directly above his ears, and his brown, wavy hair formed a ring around the back of his head. He had a chubby frame, a round face, and an engaging smile.

With his eyes turned toward Felipe's face and body facing Bernardo, Don Diego made some hand motions to his _mozo_ that Felipe understood immediately. "Bernardo, would you find Felipe a nightshirt?" Don Diego asked, speaking slowly for Felipe's benefit.

Nodding, the _mozo_ left. Don Diego turned to Felipe.

"All right, _amigo,_ come with me." He put an arm around Felipe's shoulder as he spoke.

Minutes later, in his guest room, Felipe donned an unbleached cotton nightshirt Bernardo had just brought him. He gazed at the bedroom for a long moment as the flickering candles cast shadows on the walls, illuminating the furniture and other objects. An _adobe_-brick fireplace stood at one end of the bedroom, and a pine desk stood at the other end. Three armchairs stood against the panelled walls. Two oil paintings of 16th-century aristocrats hung on the walls, one next to the fireplace and the other above the desk.

The canopy bed's light-green silk bedspread, snow-white linen sheets, and plump pillows invited occupancy. Stifling a yawn, the boy perched on the edge. The mattress sagged and creaked underneath his weight.

_I mustn't go to sleep,_ Felipe thought. _I've got to go back downstairs and look for Zorro's cave._ He glanced at the rosary he had laid on the nightstand. _Meanwhile, I need to say my prayers._

The boy knelt at the bedside, praying with his rosary as it dangled from his fingers. His late mother had bequeathed it to him shortly before she and his father were killed trying to escape the battle. Silently, Felipe prayed that he would be able to find his way back to the de la Vegas he knew. When he had finished, he blew out the candles and crawled under the soft bedcovers.

An hour passed as the young boy lay awake on his back. When he was convinced that the whole household had gone to sleep, he climbed out of bed and put on his white, unbleached cotton shirt and trousers, his brown woolen sash, and his woven leather sandals. Quietly, he tiptoed out the door and minced down the stairs to the _patio_.

When Felipe stepped into the drawing room, he stood quietly for a long moment, to let his eyes grow accustomed to the darkness. If he was to have any chance of finding the cave without being caught, he had to be able to conduct his search in the dark. Silently, he just stood there, thinking while grasping his left arm.

When he could see as well as he could expect to, he began to feel the walls for hidden levers. Felipe could just barely see the outlines of furniture and other objects, and the only sound in the otherwise silent room was the clicking of his sandals on the wooden floor. Yet, he persevered in his hunt. Felipe was bound and determined to find out if this Don Diego was also Zorro.

A sudden instinct prompted the boy to go to the library and mince toward the tall bookcase that stood next to a tapestry and bench. Sometimes, he knew, bookcases, highboys, and cupboards concealed hidden passages. He pressed his palms against its left wall and pushed.

To his joy, the bookcase slid toward the right. A doorway stood exposed, revealing pitch-blackness. _This is it!_ the servant boy thought.

Silently, he slipped into the secret hallway. Complete darkness surrounded him. After a moment of indecision, he tiptoed toward his right, till he came to a turning in the dark _adobe_-brick corridor. As he stood there, shivering in the frigid hallway, he pressed his fingertips into the corner where ice-cold adobe bricks met.

_Where does it go?_ he wondered, mincing onward. _Where's Zorro's cave? How many secret passages does this_ hacienda_ have?_

A faint thud from somewhere behind Felipe startled him. _What was that?_ he thought.

Felipe stood stock-still for a long moment, listening, but the sound did not repeat itself. Cautiously, he tiptoed onward.

Moments later, he halted when he reached out his right foot and set it down on...empty space. Drawing his foot back, Felipe carefully leaned forward to feel the wall. Sure enough, a wooden railing had been fastened there.

_Stairs!_ he thought. _I'd better be careful, since I can't see them._

Slowly, carefully, he stepped down the circular stairway till he reached the bottom. Felipe then tiptoed down another secret passage, also made of ice-cold _adobe_ bricks. Within minutes, he found himself in a cave tunnel. The bumps in the limestone wall felt frigid when he pressed his hand against it.

A faint whinny from far down the tunnel startled the boy. He trotted toward the source of that whinny. Could it be-?

_Yes!_ Felipe froze. _This is it! Here's the cave, and there's Toronado!_

As he approached the horse, it backed up and snorted. The boy stopped when he had drawn near. This Toronado did not know him as the other one did; it would not be wise to spook the stallion.

_At least, now I know where Zorro's cave is,_ Felipe thought. _But where's his costume? His swords and whips? And where's the science equipment? All I can see-barely-is a small pond and hay on the ground!_ Bewildered, he rubbed the back of his neck and scanned the cave.

Felipe's Don Diego loved to dabble in science. He kept a laboratory in his cave. When he wasn't out riding as Zorro, he often performed experiments in the privacy of the secret laboratory and gave Felipe science lessons. So often, as Zorro, he used the results of his experiments to fool the soldiers when he rode to the rescue of some innocent victim of the _alcalde's_ tyranny. It was especially easy to fool Sergeant Mendoza.

A hand grabbed his shoulder. The boy whirled around and froze. To his horror, Don Diego and Bernardo stood there!

Don Diego picked up a lantern and lit it. Beams of light illuminated the cave and the two horrified men. Don Diego had put on a blue satin bathrobe, and Bernardo had thrown on a brown woolen one. Their hair looked disheveled. Don Diego handed the lantern to Bernardo before speaking sharply to Felipe.

"Felipe, what are you doing down here? And how did you find this place?!" Don Diego crossed his arms.

Taking a deep breath, Felipe told the _caballero_, via signs, that he hadn't been able to sleep, so he had gone downstairs to find a book to read. He had accidentally pushed one of the bookcases sideways, thus finding the secret passage, and had decided to explore it. In the course of his exploration, he had found the cave. When he had finished explaining, he held his breath, hoping that the two men believed him. Telling the truth was out of the question; they'd never believe him.

Still crossing his arms, Don Diego looked at Bernardo, and Felipe could see the silent debate going on between them. Finally, Don Diego turned his attention back to the young boy. Wearing an angry frown, he demanded, "Do you recognize that horse?"

Felipe considered lying, but his quick glance in Toronado's direction gave him away. Don Diego exhaled loudly and ran his fingers through his coal-black hair, letting it fall in disarray across his forehead. Felipe watched closely as the man thought about what to do.

Finally, he simply said, "Can you keep a secret, Felipe?"

Felipe, thinking of all the secrets he had kept over the years for his Don Diego, quickly nodded. The man stared at him intently. Then, finally, crossing his arms once more, he smiled at the apprehensive boy. "I do not know why, but I'm going to trust you. I don't really have a choice, but something about you tells me that I can."

Felipe exhaled slowly. Don Diego looked around the cave again and walked over to pet Toronado's neck. "You know that I am Zorro, and you know that there is a price on my head." Felipe nodded, even though it really wasn't a question. "You must never share what you know with _anyone_! For your own sake, as well as mine." Diego wagged his finger for emphasis.

Felipe nodded his acquiescence. Diego glanced at his manservant. "Since you already know my secret, you may as well know his. Bernardo is not really deaf-he just pretends to be, so he can spy for Zorro."

Felipe nodded. That was just what he had expected. With signs, he revealed that he, too, could hear, but played deaf. He added that, at one time, he really had been deaf, but had miraculously regained his hearing.

Don Diego and Bernardo stared at each other. "That is truly amazing!" Diego commented. Felipe grinned. "_Amigo,_ I have a question for you. Can you, in fact, read lips?" Felipe nodded. "Well, _amigo,_ you've got one ability Bernardo lacks. Since he's never been deaf, he's never had to acquire that skill."

Felipe nodded his understanding. He signed a couple of questions.

Don Diego smiled at the _mozo_. "I hired him in Madrid." He chuckled, and Bernardo grinned. "I was a student at Madrid University at the time, and I needed a manservant. And yes, he can read and write."

His face turned grim. "I never got to graduate, alas. My father wrote me and asked me to come home, when I was a year short of graduation. Los Angeles was under the grip of a tyrant at the time, and he needed my help to fight him. Capitan Enrique Sanchez Monastario was the most evil _comandante_ any _pueblo_ ever had the misfortune to have!" Diego pursed his lips as he spoke, and his hazel eyes appeared to shoot flames of fire.

"Fortunately, he's gone now, but Zorro is still needed. And probably always will be."

Felipe shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe how similar the two Diegos were, or how similar he and Bernardo were. Or, for that matter, how similar this Capitan Monastario had been to Alcalde Ramon.

_Bernardo sure is loyal to this other Don Diego,_ Felipe thought. He shook his head. _Poor man! He can't read lips, and can't pretend to. That means he can't communicate with anyone but Don Diego and Don Alejandro!_ The boy sighed. _At least, I can talk with other people besides the de la Vegas, because when I was deaf, I learned to read lips, and everyone knows I can do that._

Scratching his forearm, Felipe gazed at Bernardo, who smiled back. _We're alike in several ways, Bernardo and me,_ the servant boy thought. _We're both mute; we both pretend to be deaf; and we both help Zorro. Yet, he's a man and I'm just a boy. He was born in Spain, and I was born in Mexico. He's never been deaf, and I was at one time. This Don Diego hired him in Madrid, and my Don Diego found me in Mexico before he went to Madrid._ Felipe shook his head again. _They'd never believe if I told them about_ my_ Don Diego!_

With a signs, he promised to keep both their secrets. Don Diego and Bernardo nodded, satisfied. "And we will keep you secret as well, Felipe." Don Diego patted his shoulder. "With your lipreading abilities, you might just be able to help us the next time Zorro's needed." Felipe grinned and nodded vigorously.

The young boy signed a question. Don Diego glanced at Bernardo. "Bernardo just happened to be in the secret passages. He saw you and came to my room to tell me."

Felipe nodded. _So that was the sound I heard in the passage,_ he thought.

The _caballero_ yawned. "Well, you two, we need our sleep, so let's go back to our beds, all right? Come with us, Felipe, and I'll show you where Zorro keeps his weapons and costume."

Felipe followed the two men back up the tunnel and up two flights of circular stairs. The second staircase ended in a small _adobe_-brick room.

Felipe gazed at the room. Bernardo opened a small wardrobe, revealing Zorro's costume. The Toledo-steel saber and the whip lay on a small trunk next to the wall. There was, however, no laboratory. Evidently, this Don Diego did not dabble in science.

The _caballero_ pulled a big metal ring attached to the wall; a door that stood opposite to the stairway entrance swung open. "That's my bedroom," the _don_ explained.

Bernardo blew out the lantern and set it on a small table. Felipe stepped through the doorway, and the two men followed him. Diego smiled. "I'd better take you back to your quarters, Felipe. They can be hard to find in the dead of night." He wagged his finger. "And no more middle-of-the-night excursions! Or you'll be tired and sleepy when we go to town tomorrow." Felipe nodded his acquiescence.

Back in his room, Felipe changed into the borrowed nightshirt. _Now I know why he seemed like the Don Diego I know,_ he thought. _He has the same passion for justice! And the same caring heart._ The servant boy grinned. _Same with Don Alejandro. He's a leader, and he's kind. I can tell! I'll bet he's hot-headed, too!_

Yawning, the exhausted boy snuggled under the soft bedcovers. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.

**END OF PART 2 **


	3. Chapter 3

**PART 3**

The next morning, Felipe rode to town with Bernardo and the de la Vegas in the carriage. The early-morning breeze caressed his face as he leaned against Don Diego. The cushioned velvet mattress sagged underneath his weight.

Felipe glanced up at the handsome _caballero_, who smiled back and patted the boy's arm before straightened his jacket. Diego had donned a light-blue _charro_ jacket embroidered with gold braid, and a matching pair of trousers; Alejandro was wearing a black jacket embroidered with light-yellow braid. Both had tied black silk cravats around their snow-white collars and had donned felt hats. Bernardo was again wearing a brown jacket, a matching pair of trousers, a plain cotton shirt, and a hat.

_These de la Vegas must always wear cravats,_ Felipe thought, scratching his chest. _I have yet to see them without one! My de la Vegas sometimes wear them, and sometimes don't._ The boy glanced at their hats. _My de la Vegas don't often wear hats, either. Even though they have them._

Felipe frowned. _The de la Vegas I know don't smoke cigars either! Yet this Don Diego does-he smoked one after dinner last night. My Don Diego would never approve._ The young boy smiled wryly at the thought of his Don Diego disapproving of the practices of another Don Diego de la Vega.

When they arrived in town, Felipe silently gasped. The boy had thought that he was immune to any further surprises by now, but he wasn't. This Los Angeles was much bigger than the one he was used to! It had a variety of streets and _plazas_. Not only that, the _alcalde's_ office was hidden behind a high wall and equally high, solid wood gates.

Felipe tugged Don Diego's sleeve to ask who the _alcalde_ was. "At the moment, Felipe, we don't have an _alcalde_. The last one we had died, and the governor has yet to replace him." Don Diego sighed. "And when he was alive, the _comandante_ basically usurped his power-Monastario took over the _pueblo_, and tyrannized it." He pursed his lips as he spoke.

Felipe signed a question. Don Diego glanced at his father. "Sergeant Garcia is the acting _comandante_ at present."

"Yes, and at the moment, we also have an emissary." Don Alejandro tugged at a ruffled linen sleeve. "He arrived two days ago, and we still don't know why."

The elderly _caballero_ shook his head and pursed his lips. "Whatever his purpose is, it's no good. So far, Zorro's had to rescue five _peons_ and two _caballeros_ the emissary had arrested and threatened to hang." He glared at the _cuartel_ gates as he spoke.

Felipe winced. This emissary sounded like the _alcalde_ of his Los Angeles, Don Luis Ramon, and an emissary, Colonel Palomarez, both of whom were notorious for oppressing innocent people. Palomarez had visited Los Angeles twice; first to force Zorro's surrender by executing innocent people, then to force the people off their land and sell California to Great Britain. The territorial governor had appointed Luis Ramon as _alcalde_ months before Don Diego's return from Madrid, and ever since, he had used his office to crush the people and grind them into the dust. Only Zorro could rein him in.

Bernardo pulled up in front of the tavern, and the others stepped out of the carriage. The de la Vegas' boots clumped as they followed Felipe onto the wooden terrace. Clasping his hands behind his back, Don Alejandro gazed at the boy for a long moment. In a low voice, he asked his son, "Are you sure Felipe here can keep your secret and Bernardo's?"

Diego scrutinized the young boy, then nodded. "Yes, Father. I don't know him well, yet, but I would swear to it. He has the same loyal, trustworthy attitude as Bernardo. I sense it." He touched Felipe's shoulder. His hazel eyes conveyed warmth and trust.

Don Alejandro smiled and nodded. "So do I. I'm quite sure we can trust him fully."

Felipe smiled his appreciation. These de la Vegas were right. He'd go to his grave before betraying Zorro, as surely as Bernardo would.

Out loud, Don Alejandro suggested, "Well, Diego, I'm thirsty. Let's go inside the tavern."

"Good idea." Don Diego lowered his voice again. "I need to get some information from Sergeant Garcia anyway, and we will probably find him here. Someone may have reported Felipe missing."

As the four of them entered the tavern, Felipe saw that it greatly resembled the one owned by Victoria Escalante. Victoria was the de la Vegas' good friend and Zorro's lady love. As Felipe looked aroud, he wondered who owned this tavern.

A man wearing a white, unbleached cotton shirt, a black cotton vest, and a huge apron was standing behind the bar. "That's the innkeeper, Señor Tio," Don Diego told Felipe. Before the boy could respond, a booming voice startled him.

"Don Diego!" From across the room, a tall sergeant with an enormous belly rose from his table with a beaming smile spread across his unshaven face. The soldier, Felipe noticed, wore a blue shirt with a white, diagonal stripe that stretched from his shoulder to the hem, and a hat resemblng those the de la Vegas wore. Again, Felipe started in surprise. The soldiers in his Los Angeles wore shakos that rose upwards.

Don Diego laughed and strode toward the table. "_Buenas dias,_ Sergeant!" In a low voice, he told Felipe, "That's our acting _comandante_, Sergeant Garcia." The boy nodded.

"_Buenos dias,_ Don Diego and Don Alejandro. Little one." The last greeting was directed at Bernardo, Felipe noticed. The fat sergeant stared at Felipe as the young boy followed Diego alongside Don Alejandro and Bernardo. "Come join me!" The sergeant beckoned to Don Diego, who chuckled with his father and nodded. As Bernardo strolled toward the bar, the de la Vegas and Felipe sat down at the table with the sergeant.

"Who's this boy?" the sergeant asked, glancing at Don Alejandro.

"This is our houseguest, Felipe." Reaching over, the elderly _caballero_ laid a hand on Felipe's shoulder. "Like Bernardo, he's a deaf-mute, but unlike our _mozo_, he can read lips." At that, Felipe glanced at the _mozo_, who leaned against the bar, miming the action of pouring a drink. With a nod, a waitress proceeded to pour some wine into a tin mug. Felipe turned his attention back to the acting _comandante_.

The sergeant smiled at Felipe. "Well, permit me to introduce myself. I am Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia, acting _comandante_ for the _pueblo de_ Los Angeles." Felipe smiled back. "Where are you from, _muchacho_? And what brings you to Los Angeles? Where are your parents?"

Don Diego sighed and pressed his hands against the table. "He's lost, I'm afraid. My father, Bernardo, and I found him wandering on the road yesterday, and took him to our _hacienda_. We've brought him to town to start a search for his family. Has anyone been to the _cuartel_, Sergeant, to report a missing son?"

Sergeant Garcia shook his head. "No, there hasn't. But if anyone does, Don Diego, I will let you know." He grasped a shiny tin mug and gulped its contents.

When Señor Tio approached the table, Don Alejandro ordered wine for himself and his son, and a glass of lemonade for Felipe. When their orders arrived, the group sat sipping their drinks and chatting. Once, when Sergeant Garcia raised his tin mug, a hopeful expression creasing his unshaven face, Don Diego laughed and filled it. All the while, Bernardo remained at the bar, sipping his wine and leaning against the counter.

Suddenly, Felipe overheard shouting in the _plaza_. The de la Vegas and Sergeant Garcia overheard it, too, as did Bernardo, though he also pretended not to hear it. The group rushed out the door to see what was happening.

Two soldiers had just grabbed the arms of a peasant man. Don Diego caught his breath. "Sergeant! That's our _caporal_, Benito Avila!" Don Diego's face had frozen in alarm; his father clenched his fists and scowled.

_Is that man their head_ vaquero_?_ Felipe wondered.

Don Diego glanced at his father, then stared at Sergeant Garcia. "My father sent him here to run some errands. Why is he being arrested?"

Garcia sighed. "_Quien sabe,_ Don Diego? The emissary and his aide have had several people arrested since they came here. If it hadn't been for Zorro, they would have all been hung."

As the soldiers marched the _vaquero_ toward the _cuartel_, Garcia followed them with slumped shoulders. A grim-faced Don Diego nudged Felipe and pointed toward two gentlemen talking on the other side of the _plaza_ fountain.

"Felipe, that's our new emissary, Don Alberto Sanchez, and his aide, Capitan Juan Santiago." He sighed. "I wish one of us could approach them and eavesdrop on their discussion, but in that particular location, any attempt to do so would attract attention. Even Bernardo would be noticed, I'm afraid."

Felipe saw that the two men were facing in a direction that allowed him to read their lips. For a long moment, the boy focused intently on their faces, visually deciphering what they were saying. When they turned around to return to the _cuartel_, Felipe looked at Don Diego, who had clasped his hands behind his back, exchanging glances with his father.

"Do you know what they said?" the tall _caballero_ asked. "You read their lips?" Felipe nodded. The de la Vegas looked at each other.

"Good." Don Alejandro glanced down at his gleaming timepiece. "Let's return to the _hacienda_, then, and Felipe can tell us there what he knows."

Back at the _hacienda_, the de la Vegas watched as Felipe explained, via signs, what the emissary and his aide had said at the fountain. "So, the emissary intends to hang Benito at dawn for supposedly plotting to incite rebellion among the _peons_." Don Diego shook his head and crossed his arms. "And he intends to set a trap for Zorro in the process." The handsome _caballero_ gazed at his father, then at Bernardo. "Well, it won't be the first time that's been attempted."

Felipe smiled wryly. He didn't doubt that for a minute.

Bernardo signed something as the others watched. Don Alejandro nodded agreement. "Yes, we'll have to spring their trap if Zorro is to rescue Benito. Question is, how?"

Don Diego gazed at Bernardo. "I'll need help, I'm afraid. Bernardo, meet me in the secret room. We've got to make plans for tonight." The mute manservant nodded his acquiescence, and Felipe realized that Diego meant the secret compartment where he hid his clothes and weapons.

Felipe grabbed the _caballero's_ sleeve. He tapped his chest, then pointed at Bernardo. At that point, he made the sign of the Z.

"You want to help, too, Felipe?" Don Diego gazed at him thoughtfully as the young boy nodded. "We'll see. I don't want to put you in danger, you know. I could never face your parents when we do find them, if you got killed. But I may need more help than Bernardo alone can give, so I'll see if there's a way you can help. Meanwhile, you may join us in the secret room."

Minutes later, in the secret room off Don Diego's bedroom, Diego, Bernardo, and Felipe planned their strategy. When they had ironed out the details, Don Diego sighed. "Well, there's nothing more we can do till nightfall, so let's take Felipe, here, on a picnic, Bernardo. We can make our preparations later."

For the rest of the day, the de la Vegas and Bernardo kept Felipe busy. They took him on a tour of the _rancho_, then had a picnic by the creek before the _siesta_ hour. Late that afternoon, Diego and Felipe played two games of chess in the library while Don Alejandro and Bernardo watched. Don Diego won the first game, and Felipe won the second.

Chuckling, Don Alejandro opened a crystal decanter of wine and poured some into a gleaming crystal goblet. "Well, son, it seems Felipe has been well-taught. He kept you on your toes throughout both games."

"Yes, he certainly did." Don Diego gazed at the boy curiously. "_Peons_ don't normally play chess. Do you work for a _caballero_, Felipe?" The boy nodded. "And he taught you how to play chess?" Felipe nodded again.

"What servant position do you hold, Felipe?" As Don Alejandro sipped his wine, he and the other two men watched Felipe's gestures. "You work as a houseboy," the aged _don_ said. The boy nodded.

Don Diego smiled. "I'm not surprised. Your manners are different from those of most peasant boys-they're more like a gentleman's. And I strongly suspect you've had an excellent education, too." Smiling shyly, Felipe shrugged, then nodded.

The handsome _caballero_ glanced out the window. "Well, Father, it'll be getting dark soon. If Zorro is to rescue Benito, we've got preparations to make."

"Certainly." Don Alejandro set down the crystal goblet on the rectangular coffee table. "While you're doing that, my son, I'll stay in here and do some paperwork. I'll probably be in bed before the three of you return, so I'll say _buenas noches_ now."

Minutes later, back in the secret room, Don Diego donned his black costume with his _mozo's_ help. Felipe leaned against the wall and watched. _Why doesn't he wear a bandana mask like my Zorro does?_ the boy wondered. _Why does he just wear a strip of cloth over his eyes and another cloth on top of his head?_

Zorro smiled at Felipe. "I want you to remember your instructions, _amigo,_ and obey them carefully. I don't want to have to rescue you, too." Felipe nodded his acquiescence. "Good boy. Bernardo, saddle a horse for Felipe and another for yourself. I'll meet you both outside the _cuartel_." He girded his saber and left.

**END OF PART 3 **


	4. Chapter 4

**PART 4**

Felipe leaned against the _plaza_ fountain outside the _cuartel_. Overhead, the moon shone in a half-circle, and glittering stars dotted the sky. Bernardo had agreed to go into the _comandante's_ office to warn the emissary that Zorro had been sighted in the _plaza_. Hopefully, Don Alberto would send the soldiers out to search for the masked avenger, thus giving Zorro a chance to sneak into the _cuartel_ and free Benito. Felipe would blow a whistle to warn Zorro if the soldiers returned. The whistle nestled inside his sash and pressed his skin.

As the mute manservant entered the _cuartel_ courtyard, Felipe smiled wryly. _My Don Diego likely would have used his science knowledge to play a trick on the soldiers,_ he thought. Rubbing the back of his neck, the young boy glanced up at the clusters of stars. A cool breeze brushed his cheek.

A few minutes passed, during which time Felipe scratched his wrist. Suddenly, he overheard the emissary shouting, "Lancers! Zorro is out there, and he intends to blow up the armory! After him, before he enters!"

Felipe crouched behind the fountain. Within minutes, a crowd of soldiers rushed into the _plaza_ on horseback.

_Good!_ he thought. _Now he has a chance. Hurry, Zorro!_ He made the sign of the cross.

Several more minutes passed. Each moment felt like an eternity. The servant boy silently prayed that this Zorro would succeed in saving Benito and that both men would escape unharmed. As he waited, Don Alberto shouted, "Zorro! I might have known it was a scurvy trick! Prepare to die, outlaw!"

Felipe rose to his feet and stood stock-still. As he held his breath, the faint clanging of swords reached his ears. _You can do it!_ he thought. _You can beat the emissary! You must! After all, you're Zorro!_

After the swordfight had lasted for several minutes, Felipe heard the approach of galloping hoofbeats. The soldiers were returning!

"I must report to the emissary!" Sergeant Garcia's voice sounded distant.

Felipe snatched the whistle and inserted it between his teeth. As he blew, an earsplitting _TWEEEEEEEEEEEE!_ filled the air.

Sudden silence, followed by a faint thud. As Felipe stepped backwards, the right side of his homespun cotton shirt snagged on the edge of the fountain. With a violent tug, he jerked it loose.

Santa Maria! _I've torn my shirt._ The boy fingered the jagged tear in dismay.

There was no time to worry about a torn shirt, however. He still had to get away before the soldiers saw him. Felipe raced toward the horse Bernardo had loaned him, leaped on its back, and galloped down a side street. He had done his job. The rest was up to Zorro, now.

**ZZZZZ**

Felipe and Bernardo had been waiting in the _patio_ for a half-hour. Bernardo shifted his weight restlessly from one leg to the other, as he leaned against a column supporting the balcony; Felipe paced nonstop. Would Zorro never return? What if he had been imprisoned-or shot?

A knot formed in the boy's stomach. Unable to sit still, he wandered all over the _patio_.

_Please, God,_ he silently prayed, _protect him and Benito!_ Por favor,_ get them back safely._ He made the sign of the cross. Watching him, Bernardo followed suit.

Suddenly, the manservant tapped Felipe's shoulder and motioned toward the torch that blazed ten feet behind them. Felipe followed him toward that torch. What was Bernardo going to do?

The _mozo_ pantomimed shutting his eyes and pointed at Felipe. Shrugging, the boy did as he was told, wondering what this was about. Bernardo's boots clomped across the _patio_, then stopped. A long moment passed while Felipe waited, fidgeting. Suddenly, increasingly-louder clumps signaled Bernardo's return.

At a tap on his shoulder, Felipe opened his eyes. Bernardo held his cotton handkerchief in one hand and a pencil-size twig in the other. As Felipe watched, the mute manservant wrapped the twig in the handkerchief, then, with gestures, told Felipe to break the twig. Puzzled as to what Bernardo intended, Felipe took the twig, still wrapped in the handkerchief, and snapped it in two.

Bernardo took the broken twig back, still wrapped up. A mischievous, mysterious expression etched his round face. He waved his other hand directly over the handkerchief, then drew Felipe's right hand outward, gently grasping his wrist. Silently, the manservant shook the handkerchief. One intact, pencil-sized twig dropped into Felipe's cupped hand.

Felipe gaped at the _mozo_ and pointed at him, amazement flooding his heart. Looking innocent, Bernardo just shrugged and folded his handkerchief. Without volunteering an explantion, he inserted the handkerchief into his inside jacket pocket.

_How did he do that?_ Felipe wondered. _What other magic tricks does Bernardo know?_

"Bernardo! Felipe!"

Don Diego raced down the balcony stairs. The boy sighed with relief, only to freeze again as Diego rushed toward him, worry creasing his forehead.

"Felipe, you must leave-immediately!" He grabbed the young boy's shoulder. "Yes, Benito is safe-Zorro saw to that. But _you're_ not! The soldiers are on their way here even as we speak. Sergeant Garcia and another soldier saw you in the _plaza_ and reported your presence to the emissary. And now, the emissary knows you probably read his lips this afternoon!"

Before a shocked Felipe had a chance to react, Don Diego grabbed his arm and propelled him toward the gate. "I told Benito to have a horse saddled and waiting outside the _patio_ wall. Another _vaquero_ should be out there with it right now. Come, we must hurry!"

Felipe darted through the _patio_ entrance and practically leaped into the saddle of the horse the _vaquero_ had brought. Without a farewell, Felipe dug his heels into the horse's sides, and it galloped off. Before the servant boy had gotten far, he heard the faint clomping of other hoofbeats and the emissary's distant shout.

"There's the boy!" Don Alberto sounded enraged. "I'll teach that brat to aid and abet that masked outlaw! He's going to tell me who Zorro is, if I have to torture every inch of his body to make him talk!"

The terrified boy urged the horse to greater speed. Minute after minute passed, as he galloped the horse over hill and dale. The wind whistled past his head.

_I've got to find that cave!_ he thought, panting. _I've got to hide!_ He scanned the darkened countryside desperately. _The cave! Where is it? This is the area, but_ where_ is the cave?!_

A distant shot exploded faintly. A musket! Just in time, Felipe remembered not to flinch.

"No, _baboso_! Don't shoot him!" The emissary's voice sounded fainter, now. "I want that boy alive!"

As Don Alberto's voice died down, Felipe saw the hill up ahead, that held the cave. Looking backwards, he noticed that the hill behind him now hid him from the soldiers' view. He had only a few seconds to act.

The servant boy dismounted and slapped the horse's side; it galloped away. Felipe rushed into the cave and leaned against the frigid limestone wall, panting and shivering. The bumps pressed into his back.

The hoofbeats sounded nearer and nearer. Felipe squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath. His heart pounded, and his palms grew sweaty. Would the soldiers and the emissary find the cave? Would they dismount and search it?

Just as he felt he couldn't endure the suspense another second, the horses galloped on past. "_Santa Maria,_ he's disappeared!" The emissary sounded furious. "Where _is_ he?! By the saints, I'll find that insolent pup!"

Felipe slowly opened his eyes. The clomping hoofbeats faded into the distance. The servant boy sighed in relief. At least they hadn't discovered the cave!

Yawning, Felipe decided to spend the night in the cave, and try to find the _hacienda_ in the morning. He curled up on the stone-cold limestone floor and laid his head on his left arm. As his eyelids grew heavy, he daydreamed about the events of the last two days.

Suddenly, his eyelids shot open. Reddish-orange sunbeams poured through the entrance, forming an oval of sunlight on the cave floor. _It must be dawn,_ Felipe thought, stretching.

"Felipe!"

The young boy leaped to his feet. That voice sounded familiar! Could it be-?

"Felipe!"

Felipe's shirt snagged against a limestone point sticking out of the cave wall; he jerked it loose and darted outside. A familiar tall _caballero_ wearing a familiar navy-blue _charro_ jacket had just dismounted an equally familiar golden-brown stallion.

"Felipe!" Don Diego rushed toward the boy. "Are you all right, _amigo_? When your horse returned without you, my father and I were worried!"

Felipe rushed into his _patrón's_ arms. Ecstatic joy flooded his heart. This was _his_ Don Diego! Felipe was back where he belonged! Without success, he tried to stop shaking.

"Shhh. It's all right, Felipe. You're safe, now." Don Diego's soft voice soothed him. "You're not hurt, and you're not lost anymore. That's all that matters." He patted the boy's back as he spoke.

When Felipe stepped back, after a long moment, he gazed at the countryside. The same rocks, trees, and shrubs he had seen before entering the cave filled the scenery once more, and the ground was wet and muddy. He noticed that the sun was in the west, not the east. The bewildered boy shook his head.

_Did I dream it?_ he wondered. _Or did it really happen?_

He turned back toward Don Diego. As he gazed into the _patrón's_ kind blue eyes, Diego smiled at him comfortingly.

Felipe signed a question. "What time is it?" the young _don_ asked. Felipe nodded.

Don Diego patted his shoulder. "I don't have my timepiece with me, but your horse returned to the stable less than an hour ago." He gazed at the reddish-orange sun, now dipping toward the horizon. "And now, it's time to get you home, my friend. It'll be dark, soon."

Felipe nodded his acquiescence. Reluctantly, he decided not to tell Don Diego about his adventure. _He'd never believe me,_ the young man thought ruefully, as his _patrón_ mounted Esparanza. _I'm not totally sure I believe it, myself! Maybe I dreamed it. And yet-and yet, it all seemed so real!_

Suddenly, Don Diego bent sideways and frowned. "Felipe, you've torn your shirt." He fingered a small tear in the right side of the boy's cotton shirt. "When we get home, I want you to change your shirt and give this one to the seamstress to mend." He straightened his jacket.

Felipe glanced down at his shirt and furrowed his eyesbrows. _I snagged that side on the water fountain in the_ plaza_,_ he thought. _But then, it also caught on the cave wall when Don Diego called me. How do I know where it happened?_ He shook his head, bewildered.

With an ease born of long practice, the mute boy mounted the horse, behind Diego. As soon as Felipe got home, he was going to think about what had happened, and try to determine whether the adventure had been real or a dream.

_I'll probably never really know,_ he thought. _Not ever!_

**THE END **


End file.
